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TikTok and the rise of a conspiracy populist
That a political unknown with controversial views could end up as Romania’s next president offers cautionary lessons on how elections can spring surprises.
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Mr Calin Georgescu, who emerged from nowhere to win 23 per cent of the ballots in the first round of Romania’s presidential vote, ran his entire campaign on TikTok.
PHOTO: AFP
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Romania does not regularly command much international attention. The 20 million-strong east European nation accounts for just under 5 per cent of the European Union’s total population.
Dirt poor during the late 1980s when communism collapsed throughout Europe, Romania made substantial economic strides in recent years. But unlike Hungary – its smaller neighbour which has made a name for itself by being the awkward member in the EU and Nato – the Romanians progressed by going along with whatever was the European consensus.
